iPhone 7 Rumor Wars Confuse Apple Watchers

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Constantly changing rumors demonstrate no one knows anything certain about the iPhone 7 -- but we can catch the latest round of speculation.

We're just about four months out from the iPhone 7's expected debut, and I can't keep track of what features the device will or will not have. First, Apple was going to remove the headset jack, but now it isn't. Then the iPhone 7 was believed to include a Smart Connector, but now some disagree on that. The chassis is going to be radically different if you look at one sketch, or exactly the same if you credit another rendering.

Let's face it, we don't know a damned thing about the iPhone 7.

A new drawing is making its way around the internet that depicts the exterior design of the iPhone. The mock-up looks almost identical to the iPhone 6s. In fact, the dimensions included with the rendering are the same as last year's phone. Cutouts for the camera module and flash are right where they should be -- if we were looking at an iPhone 6s.

This image, however, reveals that the iPhone 7 will have dual cameras and a Smart Connector. The notion of including a two-camera setup has been floating around for a while now. The LG G5 has two cameras, one standard-view and one wide-view. The Huawei P9 has two cameras, too, but the second sensor captures only black-and-white data. In the past, phone makers have used two cameras to capture 3D or stereoscopic imagery. There hasn't been any speculation about exactly what Apple might do with two cameras on the iPhone 7, but any of those mentioned are possibilities.

Including the Smart Connector is more interesting. It opens up the potential for a wide range of low-power accessories that can used with the iPhone 7. The Smart Connector is already used to power keyboards for the two iPad Pro tablets. Too bad that rumor has been squashed.

Other reports suggest the phone will be waterproof and dustproof. This would please plenty of klutzes to be sure. The iPhone's main rival, Samsung's Galaxy S7, is waterproof. Moreover, the home button may be revised so that it is flush with the glass surface.

Then there's the notion that Apple will switch to Intel processors for the iPhone 7. Too bad Intel decided to drop out of the mobile phone chip business.

[See 9 iPhone Hacks to Free up Storage Space.]

While many of these features sound compelling, there's simply no way to verify the reports on which they are based. None of these reports have come from media outlets with better track records of predicting what's in store. Apple CEO Tim Cook promised the company planned to double down on security to stop leaks. Perhaps it has.

The iPhone 7 will likely be here in September. It'll be different from the iPhone 6s, and hopefully it will be different enough.

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